Ashes to Ashes
by Jeannie-Mckay
Summary: An alternate ending to ep 5, what if one of those pieces of Puffer fish really had been poisonous? deathfic Oneshot


Title: Ashes to Ashes

Rating: T (death)

Summary: An alternate ending to ep 5, what if one of those pieces of Puffer fish really had been poisonous?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Hustle, unfortunately.

Author's Note: I really wanted to write something like this, because ever since seeing Ash's 'death' on the last episode I felt that if needed to be done. Hope it's okay, as it's my first Hustle fanfic.

Please do read and review.

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"We have honour." Ash stood up slowly, his eyes never leaving those of the younger man before him. He heard the small intakes of breath from his four friends, but refused to let them sway him from what he needed to do.

"Then show me." The small, ornate box was suddenly in the man's hands, the small pieces of fish lying flat on the purple fabric beneath them. They looked perfectly innocent, as though one of them wasn't really deadly, one of them couldn't really kill someone. Ash glanced down at the fish, and then back to the man before him. He took one deep steadying breath, and grabbed the nearest piece of fish and put it in his mouth. Slowly he chewed and finally swallowed, for a while he just stood there waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly he felt a tingling in his lips, and he raised a hand to them. He looked up at the man before him, his eyes wide with fear, then he fell hard onto the ground beneath him. All around him he could hear the sounds of his friends running to him, trying to help him, but his mind was too fixated on trying to breath. He felt his heartbeat quicken, and his lungs felt as if they were being crushed.

"Ash?" Stacie's face swam before his eyes, she looked terrified but he could offer her no words of comfort. The next second Albert's face appeared before him, and then he heard Danny's voice shouting.

"He's like a father to me!" Ash tried to smile, but his energy was being zapped as convulsions began to whip through his body. He felt hands on his face, but he could no longer tell whose they were. His vision was growing darker, and his breaths were getting shorter.

'_I'm dying.'_ He thought, as the edges of his world blacked out completely. Now all he could see was a blurry image of a face in front of him, but even that was disappearing. As his vision faded completely, he felt the air crash out of his lungs.

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Stacie stared in horror at the man in her arms, who was slowly dying. His eyes were rolling about in their sockets, and his body was convulsing horribly. She gently stroked his face, trying to offer some comfort but she knew that it was too late. She listened as Danny shouted at the young man, but she didn't really understand what was going on. All she understood was that Ash was lying in her arms, and that he was dying. Dying because of some con that they'd managed to pull off, and the mark's son deciding for revenge. She felt tears begin to fall down her cheeks; several landed on Ash's cheek and made little pathways down his face. Suddenly Ash stopped moving, his eyes closed and his convulsions ceased.

"Ash? Ash, wake up." She didn't know why she was saying it, a part of her knew that he couldn't wake up again but she still needed to say it. To try. She shook him gently, trying to get a response from him but none came.

"No! Ash, please!" She felt more tears come crashing down, and her hands moved from his shoulder to his face. She gently stroked the brown hair, as she looked down into her friend's face.

"No." Beside her she heard Albert shift slightly, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. All she wanted to do was sit here and cry.

Suddenly there was an almighty crash, and she was forced to raise her eyes to see what was going on. Danny had run at the younger man, and was attacking him. Punch after punch was raining down on the Oriental man, but he effortlessly blocked them. Tears were streaming down Danny's cheeks, but he refused to give up and finally he managed to land a blow to the man's jaw. Billy was straining at the robes that were binding him to the chair, he seemed desperate to help.

"You killed him!" Danny yelled, as he landed yet another blow on the man's face. She felt Albert move from beside her, and watched as he moved slowly forwards and grabbed Danny's arm. The young blonde man struggled against Albie's grip, but soon he gave up. He fell to his knees and let the tears flow, not caring what anyone thought.

"Honour has been restored." The dark haired man, closed the box and picked it up. He turned to Stacie and gave her a sad smile, which she did not return. Right now she wanted to tear him limb from limb. Quickly the man hurried out of the bar, and up the steps, leaving behind him disarray and grief.

"Is he…he's not…he can't be." Billy was mumbling to himself, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Albert walked towards him, and undid the ropes that bound him to the chair but Billy didn't move, he just sat there staring at Ash's body on the floor.

Stacie slowly stood up, and walked towards Danny who was still sobbing on his knees. When she reached him she knelt down beside him and put her arms around him, she felt him lean into her and she leant her head on his shoulder.

Albert watched them both, trying hard not to cry himself. His gaze slowly moved to Ash's body, lying still on the floor. A life taken too early! Ash could have done such wonderful things with his life, but now his life had ended. No more fingers tapping away at a keyboard, producing items for their next con. No more tricking Eddie, so that they didn't have to pay for their drinks. The team would never be the same again, and Albert knew it. The death of one of their own would haunt them forever, and no doubt Danny would blame himself.

-Three weeks later-

A small group of people were gathered around an open grave; behind them a small church was silhouetted against the dying sun. Above the grave was a coffin, gently being lowered down into the dark soil. The people around the grave were all dressed in black, and looked on with sad and solemn expressions.

"Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust." The vicar sprinkled some dirt onto the coffin, as it reached the bottom of the grave. A young woman with long, dark brown hair moved forwards and dropped a rose into the ground, as she moved backwards a young man put an arm around her shoulders.

Slowly the group dispersed, leaving only four people there all staring down at the grave. Today they'd buried their friend and colleague. Finally each of them moved off, leaving only one behind. Albert let one solitary tear fall as he read the words inscribed on the tombstone that, would mark where Ash Morgan lay forever more.

_Ashley Morgan _

_ 1960 - 2007 _

_Beloved friend and brother. _

_He shall be remembered._

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Hope you liked it. Please do read and review.

Thanks


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